Mary Joan Schutz: Gene Wilder’s Second Wife and Mother of His Only Child, But Not Biologically His
Gilda Radner and Mary Mercier were actresses. Karen Boyer is a custom designer.
So, you might think that Gene Wilder only got serious with famous ladies. But Mary Joan Schutz would prove you wrong.
Today, you’ll get to know his second ex-wife, who kept a fairly low-profile life.
Mary Joan Schutz: Quick Bio
Before we take a closer look at Schutz’s life with Willy Wonka himself, let’s cover the basics.
- Birthdate: January 12, 1930
- Children: Katherine A. Wilder
- Spouse: Jerome Silberman (aka Gene Wilder) from 1967 to 1974
4 Things You Didn’t Know About Mary Schutz
Okay, now you’re ready for the details!
1. She Wasn’t the First “Mary” in Gene Wilder’s Life
Image source: Google
Gene Wilder tied the knot four times. Believe it or not, his first two wives were Marys.
First, he married the actress and playwright Mary Mercier. But they got divorced only five years later.
His second wife was (yes, you guessed it) Mary Joan Schutz.
2. Her Friend Was Wilder’s Sister
So, Wilder’s first wife was in showbiz.
How did he meet Mary Schutz (who wasn’t an actress) then? Well, it’s reported that she was a friend of his sister, Corinne.
I’d like to point out that Corinne didn’t just introduce Gene to his second wife. When he was 16, she helped him get a gig at a theatre company. She’s quite the sister, isn’t she?
Image source: Google
3. Her Marriage to Wilder Didn’t Last Long
Mary Joan Schutz met Wilder the same year he divorced Mary Mercier. Apparently, they hit it off well because the next year, the love birds were engaged.
The wedding was in October 1967, and the marriage lasted for seven years. Granted, this was longer than Wilder’s first marriage. But still, that’s not long at all.
Rumor has it that Schutz ended the marriage because she thought her husband was cheating on her with his “Young Frankenstein” co-star, Madeline Kahn.
The interesting part is that Gene Wilder did end up dating one of his co-stars from the “Young Frankenstein.” It wasn’t Kahn, though. Instead, it was Teri Garr!
Image source: Facebook
4. The Divorce Affected More Than Just Schutz and Wilder
Mary Joan Schutz had a daughter (Katherine) from a previous relationship. And when she married Wilder, little Katherine started calling the comedy legend “dad.” That’s why he decided to adopt her.
So, while Gene Wilder has no biological children (the Jermey Allen rumors are false), he did consider Katherine his daughter, at least for a while.
Unfortunately, the divorce hit the father-daughter relationship hard—they became estranged when Katherine was around 20 years old. Things got so bad that before his death, Wilder said that he “had a daughter and lost her.” Ouch!
Image source: Google
He hoped Katherine would read his memoir and understand why his and her mom’s marriage fell apart. But he doubted that would ever happen.
Final Thoughts
We know Gene Wilder got married (twice) after splitting up with Mary Schutz. Yet, there’s no way to know for sure what Schutz has been up to.
Featured image source: Pinterest
